There are very few actors that are able to bring crazy amounts of camp to their roles and succeed in Hollywood, and Jean-Claude Van Damme is one of them. Van Damme by no means has great acting capabilities, but he is one entertaining person to watch on screen. He possesses some great martial arts skills which helped him establish himself as a great action star. Shah Rukh Khan, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Jackie Chan in One Frame at the Joy Forum 2019 Is Sunday Done Right! (View Pics)
Martial Arts films have defined most of Van Damme’s career, and that’s for a good reason, because he is genuinely great at it. So to celebrate Jean-Claude Van Damme’s 61st birthday, we are taking a look at five of his best action scenes from his films.
Prison Fight (In Hell)
Starting this list off with a bang, the prison fight in In Hell is nerve racking to the brim. Being stuck in prison and trying to fend for himself, the fight is filled with amazing sequences and stakes. Van Damme gets his butt kicked brutally which makes his expected victory all the more satisfying.
Bar Fight (Kickboxer)
This is a really, really, really weird scene, but one that’s a lot of fun. Being in a bar, drunk and dancing alongside a few girls, the villains send two of his goons to discard Kurt. What follows is Kurt just handing out a whooping that isn’t short of a roundhouse kick. It’s a weird scene but my-oh-my if it isn’t damn fun to watch. Jean-Claude Van Damme Starts Shooting for Netflix's Action-comedy 'The Last Mercenary'.
Henchmen vs Jack Quinn (Double Team)
Van Damme being directed by the legendary John Woo, it can’t get better than that. It’s a great scene that’s filled with some great choreography including the signature Woo shots. The action is hard hitting, brutal and just all around entertaining.
Frank vs Chong Li (Bloodspot)
Van Damme’s first action role of his career, Bloodspot was a great introduction to the skillset of this man. In the final fight of this film when Frank faces off against Chong Li, what ensues is one of the best fight scenes you’ll ever see. It's fast, kinetic and really amazing to behold.
Kurt vs Tong (Kickboxer)
Our second entry from Kickboxer, we see Kurt take on Tong. Perhaps the best action scene of Van Damme’s career, the scene is exciting as hell is unleashed. At points it is so over the top that you will just ignore the logistics of what’s going on as Van Damme makes a sound with every punch.
With Van Damme getting we sure as hell aren’t going to get many action roles from him, but I can’t wait to see some of his next few projects lined up. With this we finish off the list and wish Jean-Claude Van Damme a very happy birthday.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 18, 2021 06:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).